OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Aug. 22, 2013) – Canada’s natural gas distribution and pipeline transmission industry welcomes the recommendation on encouraging damage prevention practices, as announced today in the report of the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources: Moving Energy Safely: A Study of the Safe Transport of Hydrocarbons by Pipelines, Tankers and Railcars in Canada.
Every year, key products and services that are buried underground such as electricity, natural gas, crude oil, petroleum products, cable, water, and telecommunications services are unnecessarily damaged by excavators who have not located the infrastructure before beginning their work. Taking the time to identify, locate, and mark buried utilities by contacting a provincial One Call Centre or line locating service helps keep work sites safe, prevents environmental damage, saves projects time and money, and prevents serious injury.
“Whether it is new construction, roadwork, or homeowners planning backyard projects, all excavation and digging projects need to be done safely,” said Timothy M. Egan, president and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association. “The natural gas distribution industry has long-championed and is committed to continuing to support damage prevention and safety initiatives.”
The Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources initiated its study in November 2012. The report issued today includes a recommendation that “That the federal government facilitate efforts to establish a national access point for information on the location of buried infrastructure, as well as the promotion of one-call centres and call-before-you-dig initiatives. Information on the coordinates of underground infrastructure should be consulted prior to any excavation activities by a third party.”
“We welcome the Senate Committee’s recommendation and look forward to working collaboratively with all interested parties on next steps,” said Egan.
“Preventing damage to underground facilities, such as pipelines, is critically important to Canadians,” said Brenda Kenny, president and CEO of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association. “Our member companies are encouraged by the Senate Committee’s focus on safety, as this is something our member companies take very seriously. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to further enhance our industry’s safety culture.”
Natural gas is an affordable, clean, safe and reliable energy choice for buildings and communities, large industry, and transportation. Natural gas has a central place in Canada’s energy mix meeting 30 per cent of the country’s energy needs. Today over 6.4 million customers representing well over half the Canadian population rely on natural gas for heat and power in homes, apartments, buildings, businesses, hospitals and schools.
CGA is the voice of Canada’s natural gas distribution industry and its members are distribution companies, transmission companies, equipment manufacturers and other service providers. The website of the Canadian Gas Association, www.cga.ca, provides information, facts, and useful tools on this affordable energy choice.
The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association represents Canada’s transmission pipeline companies who operate approximately 115,000 kilometres of pipelines in Canada. In 2012, these energy highways moved approximately 1.2 billion barrels of liquid petroleum products and 5.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Our members transport 97 per cent of Canada’s daily natural gas and onshore crude oil from producing regions to markets throughout North America.
For more information please visit www.cga.ca or www.aboutpipelines.com.
Canadian Gas Association
Paula Dunlop
Director, Public Affairs and Strategy
613-748-0057 ext. 341 or 613-614-3280
pdunlop@cga.ca
www.cga.ca